Silent Birthday
by Kalana Fox
Summary: They're meant to be happy, aren't they?


Here, have more sadfic.

Especially since Miharu's birthday is today. Aren't I a nice fan? =D

**Disclaimer:** Kamatani owns all.

* * *

Today was special, even though he barely acknowledged it. Many people at school would pause at various points during the day to give him best wishes.

He would simply smile and thank them, but his acknowledgement of their existence stopped there.

Afterschool he would walk home, Raimei tagging along behind him, talking animatedly (and perhaps a bit absentmindedly) about something regarding her teachers and girls at lunch. He ignored her for the most part, but let her talk. After all, she also lost something precious that day.

Later on during the evening, everyone gathered at the Rokujou household. Tobari, Hana, Raikou and Gau, Raimei, Kazuho and Yukimi, even Juuji came out for the occasion. They were all there to celebrate with him and his grandmother. He smiled as they gave a unified cheer for him. He appreciated it, really, he did. But in his heart he knew it wasn't enough.

He forwent dinner that night, telling his concerned grandmother that he wasn't feeling well enough to eat.

He laid face-up on his bed, staring absently at the ceiling. Somewhere around nine he heard his grandmother shuffling to her own room. He waited for an hour after that, to ensure she was asleep.

Slipping off the warm sheets silently, he carefully grabbed a tan hat from underneath his pillow. He cradled it against his small chest, as if it was a precious artifact he didn't want to ruin.

Swift and silent like the ninja he had been trained to be, he slipped out of his bedroom and slinked downstairs into the dark kitchen.

It was the weekend, so he felt no need to rush (his grandmother was a very heavy sleeper).

Gently, he placed the large hat on one side of the small dining table that was reserved for private use separate from the rest of the Okonomiyaki shop. He smiled, almost shyly at it, then turned to busy himself with the kitchen, careful of making too much noise lest his grandmother was not as deep in sleep as he thought.

Gingerly but efficiently, he laid out the ingredients for Okonomiyaki. It would be a special kind he'd make himself on this specific day.

He worked for a few minutes, mixing and adding as needed. Apart from the sounds of his bustling, the smaller kitchen was silent, almost deafening.

He smiled suddenly, as if reacting to something funny.

"No, silly, you can't have any. This is mine." He said to the aching silence.

"Oh, don't make that face. I have something for you too. I'm not that much of a glutton." The silence was all that prevailed, but still he smiled, this time lovingly.

"Yes, yes, of course." He replied somewhat jokingly, as if his silent conversational partner had said something unbelievable.

After a few minutes of more silence his special Okonomiyaki was done and on a plate. Giving it a chance to cool, he rummaged briefly through a cabinet no one else used, producing a packaged piece of vanilla cake, complete with a small strawberry on top.

Carefully, he carried both the cake slice, his Okonomiyaki and the required utensils to the small table. He placed the cake slice, on a plate, in front of the hat before sitting at the other side.

"It's not Gau's kind, unfortunately. And I didn't have time to make one myself. But store bought cake is just as good! Try it, you'll like it. No fork, because I figured you wouldn't want one…unless you wanted me to get you one?" He looked expectantly at the hat.

A few moments passed before he nodded as if he had received an answer. He then began eating his special food slowly, with small bites.

Briefly he glanced up and then smiled at the hat, "See? I told you it was good! Still, I'll try next time to make a homemade cake in time. That way you'll have lots of it to eat whenever you want!"

The cake slice was still there, untouched.

He continued to eat but then stopped briefly as if he had just been spoken to.

"School?" He asked, chewing slowly, "It's ok. Same as ever, really. Boring people, boring classes…Raimei talks a lot on our walks home. I think she's just lonely without Kouichi here. Sometimes she looks all distant-y and occasionally looks at me like she pities me. I don't understand why…"

More eating.

"Huh?" He looked slightly surprised, "Me? I'm not lonely. You're here, so why would I be?"

He smiled again, a slightly broken one this time.

He slowly continued eating the crispy meal, chatting randomly to the hat and untouched vanilla cake until he was down to one last bite. He smiled, a broken, sad smile at the two objects before lifting his chopsticks with the last piece of his meal.

"Happy birthday, Miharu." He smiled again, brokenly happy as if it wasn't him who said that, before eating the last piece of Okonomiyaki.

Silent now, he got up and washed the dishes quickly (the cake went down the drain too, as if it wasn't there and still good), then went back and retrieved the hat, clutching it tightly over his heart as he retreated to the silent confines of his lonely bedroom, twin streams of liquid crystal making their way down his cheeks.

* * *

I'm so nice to him lately, aren't I?

Poor thing...I need to stop writing angst with him. Be happy again, damnit!

~Kalana Fox


End file.
